[howdy20012002]

Just wanted to say a couple of things..There is a link in one of the area forums and I think that this has something to do with me a bit.
IMO, what the LFS here in alberta charge for items, in the most part, is almost insulting.
This hobby is truly an amazing one. However, to take part of it in alberta you need a second job to support it. The reason i started bringing stuff in was because i couldn't afford to buy it here.
I mean a turbo snail costs 4.50 in a couple stores in Edmonton. I know that they have lots of overhead and such..but i don't know many places that get to place a 750 to 1000 percent mark up on items.
Maybe the local stores really need to take a look at why it is that we can place orders from places in BC and with the shipping charges included and yet we still end end up saving money.
I know that myself, if the local stores came even somewhat close to being the same prices, i would definitely support them verses buying elsewhere.
However, they aren't. In alot of cases they are infact double what the items cost from one province over. Which is why i buy from there verses here.
I am all for supporting the Local stores....However, they need to look at the prices they are charging and stop insulting us by the highly inflated prices.
Just think, if this hobby became more affordable for everyone....maybe more people might do it......then maybe the stores would have more customers buying more stuff....thus making them more money. This should not be a hobby of the elite or wealthy.
I dunno know what everyone else thinks, but IMO, you shouldn't have to take out a second mortgage on a house to buy a few snails. Especially when they are available for much much less elsewhere with no real reason to justify the huge increase in prices.. It doesn't cost that much more to fly to Edmonton verses Vancover.
What it boils down to is the local stores have had a monopoly on the market...with no real competition...
well, I for one am saying, until they start supporting us, i have a hard time supporting them.
But that is just me.
I would love to hear comments on this both good and bad. I know there are lots of people out there that support what i am doing, and lots of people that don't.

By the way...please dont turn this into a trash individual stores forum.....All that will to happen then is one of the moderators will lock this discussion and it will go into the nether regions to be never seen again.
Lets use it to come up with useful discussions on both sides of the fence. Maybe we can actually have some of the LFS take notice to what is being said.

Neal